Ultrafast electron radiography of magnetic fields in high-intensity laser-solid interactions

Phys Rev Lett. 2013 Jan 4;110(1):015003. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.015003. Epub 2013 Jan 2.

Abstract

Using electron bunches generated by laser wakefield acceleration as a probe, the temporal evolution of magnetic fields generated by a 4 × 10(19) W/cm(2) ultrashort (30 fs) laser pulse focused on solid density targets is studied experimentally. Magnetic field strengths of order B(0) ~ 10(4) T are observed expanding at close to the speed of light from the interaction point of a high-contrast laser pulse with a 10-μm-thick aluminum foil to a maximum diameter of ~1 mm. The field dynamics are shown to agree with particle-in-cell simulations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Electrons*
  • Lasers*
  • Magnetics*
  • Models, Theoretical*
  • Particle Accelerators
  • Spectrum Analysis / methods
  • Technology, Radiologic / methods*